Sweep

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Kinds of Sweep

  • frequency sweep
  • linear sweep
  • selective sweep

  • Terms modified by Sweep

  • sweep net
  • sweep rate
  • sweep test
  • sweep voltammetry

  • Selected Abstracts


    Evaluation of the SWEEP model during high winds on the Columbia Plateau ,

    EARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS, Issue 11 2009
    G. Feng
    Abstract A standalone version of the Wind Erosion Prediction System (WEPS) erosion submodel, the Single-event Wind Erosion Evaluation Program (SWEEP), was released in 2007. A limited number of studies exist that have evaluated SWEEP in simulating soil loss subject to different tillage systems under high winds. The objective of this study was to test SWEEP under contrasting tillage systems employed during the summer fallow phase of a winter wheat,summer fallow rotation within eastern Washington. Soil and PM10 (particulate matter ,10 µm in diameter) loss and soil and crop residue characteristics were measured in adjacent fields managed using conventional and undercutter tillage during summer fallow in 2005 and 2006. While differences in soil surface conditions resulted in measured differences in soil and PM10 loss between the tillage treatments, SWEEP failed to simulate any difference in soil or PM10 loss between conventional and undercutter tillage. In fact, the model simulated zero erosion for all high wind events observed over the two years. The reason for the lack of simulated erosion is complex owing to the number of parameters and interaction of these parameters on erosion processes. A possible reason might be overestimation of the threshold friction velocity in SWEEP since friction velocity must exceed the threshold to initiate erosion. Although many input parameters are involved in the estimation of threshold velocity, internal empirical coefficients and equations may affect the simulation. Calibration methods might be useful in adjusting the internal coefficients and empirical equations. Additionally, the lack of uncertainty analysis is an important gap in providing reliable output from this model. Published in 2009 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


    Sweep-based Freeform Deformations

    COMPUTER GRAPHICS FORUM, Issue 3 2006
    Seung-Hyun Yoon
    We propose a sweep-based approach to the freeform deformation of three-dimensional objects. Instead of using a volume enclosing the whole object, we approximate only its deformable parts using sweep surfaces. The vertices on the object boundary are bound to the sweep surfaces and follow their deformation. Several sweep surfaces can be organized into a hierarchy so that they interact with each other in a controlled manner. Thus we can support intuitively plausible shape deformation of objects of arbitrary topology with multiple control handles. A sweep-based approach also provides important advantages such as volume preservation. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our technique in several examples. Categories and Subject Descriptors (according to ACM CCS): I.3.5 [Computational Geometry and Object Modeling]: Curve, surface, solid, and object representations [source]


    A modified CRISIS-HSQC for band-selective IMPRESS

    MAGNETIC RESONANCE IN CHEMISTRY, Issue 2 2005
    Scott A. Bradley
    Abstract CRISIS (Compensation of Refocusing Inefficiency with Synchronized Inversion Sweep) is a powerful technique for obtaining multiplicity-edited HSQC spectra without compromising sensitivity. However, the stringent requirement for the duration of the CRISIS waveforms makes them unsuitable for other functions, such as band selection or IMPRESS (IMProved REsolution using Symmetrically Shifted pulses). We report here a modified CRISIS-gHSQC pulse sequence employing time-reversed 13C ,/2 EBURP-2 pulses. This IC-bs-gHSQC (IMPRESS-CRISIS-bs-gHSQC) sequence was found to be equally useful for acquiring multiplicity-edited, band-selective spectra individually or in tandem with IMPRESS. Remarkably, the latter provides multiple spectra in significantly less time and is the preferred approach when several crowded regions need to be assigned unambiguously. The use of adiabatic sweeps and the CRISIS pulses enable IC-bs-gHSQC to give better sensitivity than the original IMPRESS sequence for band-selective spectra. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


    Sweep-based Freeform Deformations

    COMPUTER GRAPHICS FORUM, Issue 3 2006
    Seung-Hyun Yoon
    We propose a sweep-based approach to the freeform deformation of three-dimensional objects. Instead of using a volume enclosing the whole object, we approximate only its deformable parts using sweep surfaces. The vertices on the object boundary are bound to the sweep surfaces and follow their deformation. Several sweep surfaces can be organized into a hierarchy so that they interact with each other in a controlled manner. Thus we can support intuitively plausible shape deformation of objects of arbitrary topology with multiple control handles. A sweep-based approach also provides important advantages such as volume preservation. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our technique in several examples. Categories and Subject Descriptors (according to ACM CCS): I.3.5 [Computational Geometry and Object Modeling]: Curve, surface, solid, and object representations [source]


    Elimination Procedure as a Novel and Promising Mathematical Approach in Voltammetric Methods

    ELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 17-18 2010
    Nuria Serrano
    Abstract In the contribution, it has been demonstrated that Elimination Voltammetry with Linear Scan (EVLS) introduces an enhancement of the linear sweep and/or cyclic voltammetric results, and provides information about the type of the currents involved in the considered process. An extension of EVLS has been developed for any combination of scan rates (integers) for six elimination functions that are capable of conserving or eliminating of some voltammetric current components. Simple procedure to obtain the necessary coefficients from the chosen scan rates has been reported. In addition, the calculation and discussion of the relative error of elimination function (REEF) have been presented. The verification of the presented calculations has been done by studying different ratios of scan rates for reduction and oxidation processes of Cd(II) at a hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE). [source]


    Voltammetric Reduction of a 4-Nitroimidazole Derivative on a Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode

    ELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 13 2008
    P. Jara-Ulloa
    Abstract We report the electrochemical behavior of a 4-nitroimidazole derivative, 1-methyl-4-nitro-2-hydroxymethylimidazole (4-NImMeOH), on glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT). As dispersing agents, dimethylformamide (DMF) and water were used. The electrochemical response of the resulting electrodes was evaluated using linear sweep, cyclic and square-wave voltammetry (LSV, CV and SWV). Several parameters such as medium pH, nature and concentration of the CNTs dispersion and accumulation time were tested. The optimal conditions determined for obtain better response were: pH,2, dispersion concentration=4,mg/mL of CNT in water, accumulation time=7,min. The MWCNT-modified GCE exhibited attractive electrochemical properties producing enhanced currents with a significant reduction in the overpotential and good signal-to-noise characteristics, in comparison with the bare GCE. The modified electrode is highly repeatable for consecutive measurements, reaching a variation coefficient of 2.9% for ten consecutive runs. [source]


    Electrochemically Induced Iron Release of Adsorbed Horse Spleen Ferritin: Quantitation of Iron Using Long Optical Path Length Thin-Layer Spectroelectrochemistry

    ELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 23 2007

    Abstract In this work, long optical path length thin-layer electrochemical cell was constructed using indium-tin oxide on glass as the electrode material. Iron release from ferritin adsorbed on the electrode was induced by applying a negative potential sweep in the presence of 1,10-phenanthroline. The usefulness of spectroelectrochemistry as a means of determining the quantity of iron released from an adsorbed layer of ferritin is demonstrated. [source]


    Selective Electrochemical Analysis of Various Metal Ions at an EDTA Bonded Conducting Polymer Modified Electrode

    ELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 16 2004
    Aminur Rahman
    Abstract An EDTA-bonded conducting polymer modified electrode was prepared and characterized by FT-IR. The modified electrode was used for the selective electrochemical analysis of various trace metal ions such as, Cu(II), Hg(II), Pb(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Fe(II), Cd(II), and Zn(II) at the different pHs by linear sweep and square wave voltammetry. Dynamic ranges were obtained using square wave voltammetry from 0.1,,M to 10.0,,M for Co(II), Ni(II), Cd(II), Fe(II), and Zn(II) and 0.5,nM to 20,nM for Cu(II), Hg(II), and Pb(II) after 10,min of preconcentration. The detection limits were determined to be 0.1,nM, 0.3,nM, 0.4,nM, 50.0,nM, 60.0,nM, 65.0,nM, 80.0,nM, and 90.0,nM for Cu(II), Hg(II), Pb(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cd(II), Fe(II), and Zn(II), respectively. The technique offers an excellent way for the selective trace determination of various heavy metal ions in a solution. [source]


    Adsorptive Stripping Voltammetric Detection of Single-Stranded DNA at Electrochemically Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode

    ELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 23 2002
    Huai-Sheng Wang
    Abstract Electrochemically modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was used to study the electrochemical oxidation and detection of denatured single-stranded (ss) DNA by means of adsorptive stripping voltammetry. The modification of GCE, by electrochemical oxidation at +1.75,V (vs.SCE) for 10,min and cyclic sweep between +0.3,V and ,1.3,V for 20,cycles in pH,5.0 phosphate buffer, results in 100-fold improvement in sensitivity for ssDNA detection. We speculated that the modified GCE has a high affinity to single-stranded DNA through hydrogen bond (specific static adsorption). Single-stranded DNA can accumulate at the GCE surface at open circuit and produce a well-defined oxidation peak corresponding to the guanine residues at about +0.80,V in pH,5.0 phosphate buffer, while the native DNA gives no signal under the same condition. The peak currents are proportional to the ssDNA concentration in the range of 0,18.0,,g,mL,1. The detection limit of denatured ssDNA is ca. 0.2,,g mL,1 when the accumulation time is 8,min at open circuit. The accumulation mechanism of ssDNA on the modified GCE was discussed. [source]


    The structure of a local population of phytopathogenic Pseudomonas brassicacearum from agricultural soil indicates development under purifying selection pressure

    ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 3 2001
    Johannes Sikorski
    Among the isolates of a bacterial community from a soil sample taken from an agricultural plot in northern Germany, a population consisting of 119 strains was obtained that was identified by 16S rDNA sequencing and genomic fingerprinting as belonging to the recently described species Pseudomonas brassicacearum. Analysis of the population structure by allozyme electrophoresis (11 loci) and random amplified polymorphic DNA,polymerase chain reaction (RAPD,PCR; four primers) showed higher resolution with the latter method. Both methods indicated the presence of three lineages, one of which dominated strongly. Stochastic tests derived from the neutral theory of evolution (including Slatkin's exact test, Watterson's homozygosity test and the Tajima test) indicated that the population had developed under strong purifying selection pressure. The presence of strains clearly divergent from the majority of the population can be explained by in situ evolution or by influx of strains as a result of migration or both. Phytopathogenicity of a P. brassicacearum strain determined with tomato plants reached the level obtained with the type strain of the known pathogen Pseudomonas corrugata. The results show that a selective sweep was identified in a local population. Previously, a local selective sweep had not been seen in several populations of different bacterial species from a variety of environmental habitats. [source]


    ASSORTATIVE MATING FOR FITNESS AND THE EVOLUTION OF RECOMBINATION

    EVOLUTION, Issue 7 2006
    Alistair Blachford
    Abstract To understand selection on recombination, we need to consider how linkage disequilibria develop and how recombination alters these disequilibria. Any factors that development of disequilbria, including nonrandom mating, can potentially change selectio on recombination. Assortative mating is known to affect linkage disequilbria but its effect on the evolution of recombination have not been previously studied. Given that assortative arise indirectly via a number of biologically realistic scenarios, it is plausible that weak assortative mating occurs across a diverse set of taxa. Using a modifier model, we examine how assortative mating for fitness affects the evolution of recombination under two evolutionary scenarios: selective sweeps and mutation-selection balance. We find there is no net effect of assortative mating during a selective sweep. In contrast, assortative mating could have a large effect on recombination when deleterious alleles are maintained at mutation-selection balance but only if assortative mating is sufficiently strong. Upon considering reasonable values for the number of loci affecting fitness components, the strength of selection, and the mutation rate, we conclude that the correlation in fitness between mates is unlikely to be sufficiently high for assortative mating to affect the evolution of recombination in most species. [source]


    Control of Optical Hysteresis in Block Copolymer Photonic Gels: A Step Towards Wet Photonic Memory Films

    ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 11 2010
    Eunjoo Kim
    Abstract Polystyrene- block -poly(2-vinyl pyridine) (PS- b -P2VP) block copolymer photonic gels are fabricated that exhibit controllable optical hysteresis in response to a cyclic pH sweep. The optical hysteresis is tuned by controlling the ion-pairing affinity between various anions and the protonated pyridinium ions on the P2VP block, which is highly dependent on the hydration energy of the ions, the dielectric constant of the solvent, and the ionic strength of the medium. The pH coercivity defining the magnitude of hysteresis of the photonic gels could be varied from 0.26 to 7.4. Photonic gel films with strong optical hysteresis can serve as wet photonic memory films where information can be cyclically recorded and erased at least 15 times and maintained for at least 96,h. The memory colors can be further tuned by selection of the copolymer molecular weight. [source]


    Fully Transparent Non-volatile Memory Thin-Film Transistors Using an Organic Ferroelectric and Oxide Semiconductor Below 200,°C

    ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 6 2010
    Sung-Min Yoon
    Abstract A fully transparent non-volatile memory thin-film transistor (T-MTFT) is demonstrated. The gate stack is composed of organic ferroelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) [P(VDF-TrFE)] and oxide semiconducting Al-Zn-Sn-O (AZTO) layers, in which thin Al2O3 is introduced between two layers. All the fabrication processes are performed below 200,°C on the glass substrate. The transmittance of the fabricated device was more than 90% at the wavelength of 550,nm. The memory window obtained in the T-MTFT was 7.5,V with a gate voltage sweep of ,10 to 10,V, and it was still 1.8,V even with a lower voltage sweep of ,6 to 6,V. The field-effect mobility, subthreshold swing, on/off ratio, and gate leakage currents were obtained to be 32.2,cm2 V,1 s,1, 0.45,V decade,1, 108, and 10,13 A, respectively. All these characteristics correspond to the best performances among all types of non-volatile memory transistors reported so far, although the programming speed and retention time should be more improved. [source]


    Modulation of Viscoelasticity and HIV Transport as a Function of pH in a Reversibly Crosslinked Hydrogel

    ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 18 2009
    Julie I. Jay
    Abstract Materials that respond to physiological stimuli are important in developing advanced biomaterials for modern therapies. The reversibility of covalent crosslinks formed by phenylboronate (PBA) and salicylhydroxamate (SHA) has been exploited to provide a pH-responsive gel for application to the vaginal tract. Dynamic rheology reveals that the gel frequency-dependent viscoelastic properties are modulated by pH. At pH 4.8 the viscous component dominates throughout most of the frequency range. As the pH increases, the characteristic relaxation time continues to increase while the G,Plateau levels off above pH 6. At pH 7.5, the elastic component dominates throughout the frequency sweep and is predominately independent of frequency. Particle tracking assesses the transport of both fluorescently labeled HIV-1 and 100-nm latex particles in the PBA,SHA crosslinked gel as a function of pH. At pH 4.8 the ensemble-averaged mean squared displacement at lag times greater than three seconds reveals that transport of the HIV-1 and 100-nm particles becomes significantly impeded by the matrix, exhibiting diffusion coefficients less than 0.0002,µm2 s,1. This pH-responsive gel thus displays properties that have the potential to significantly reduce the transport of HIV-1 to susceptible tissues and thus prevent the first stage of male-to-female transmission of HIV-1. [source]


    The kdr mutation occurs in the Mopti form of Anopheles gambiaes.s. through introgression

    INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY, Issue 5 2000
    M. Weill
    Abstract Anopheles gambiaes.s. is a complex of sibling taxa characterized by various paracentric inversions. In west and central Africa, where several taxa are sympatric, a kdr mutation responsible for pyrethroid resistance has been described in only one (the S taxon), suggesting an absence of gene flow between them. Following a thorough sampling, we have found a kdr mutation in another taxon (M). To establish whether this mutation is the same event or not, the large intron upstream of the kdr mutation was sequenced to find polymorphic sites in susceptible/resistant and M/S mosquitoes. The low genetic diversity found in this DNA region indicates that a local genetic sweep has recently occurred. However, some polymorphic sites were found, and it is therefore concluded that the kdr mutation in the M taxon is not an independent mutation event, and is best explained by an introgression from the S taxon. These results are discussed within the context of possible gene flow between members of An. gambiae s.s. taxa, and with the possible spread of the kdr mutation in other closely related malaria vectors of the An. gambiae complex. [source]


    A domain decomposition technique for finite element based parametric sweep and tolerance analyses of microwave passive devices

    INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RF AND MICROWAVE COMPUTER-AIDED ENGINEERING, Issue 3 2009
    Giacomo Guarnieri
    Abstract A domain decomposition approach is here applied to the finite element solution of a multiport waveguide passive device. The approach allows separating the problem in multiple, coupled subproblems which can be solved individually. By appropriately defining one of these subdomains as containing all the possible variations to be studied it is hence possible to restrict the tolerance analysis to this latter, smaller domain. Numerical results showing the gain in computing time are presented. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE, 2009. [source]


    The role of early neural activity in the maturation of turtle retinal function

    JOURNAL OF ANATOMY, Issue 4 2001
    EVELYNE SERNAGOR
    In the developing vertebrate retina, ganglion cells fire spontaneous bursts of action potentials long before the eye becomes exposed to sensory experience at birth. These early bursts are synchronised between neighbouring retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), yielding unique spatiotemporal patterns: ,waves' of activity sweep across large retinal areas every few minutes. Both at retinal and extraretinal levels, these embryonic retinal waves are believed to guide the wiring of the visual system using hebbian mechanisms of synaptic strengthening. In the first part of this review, we recapitulate the evidence for a role of these embryonic spontaneous bursts of activity in shaping developing complex receptive field properties of RGCs in the turtle embryonic retina. We also discuss the role of visual experience in establishing RGC visual functions, and how spontaneous activity and visual experience interact to bring developing receptive fields to maturation. We have hypothesised that the physiological changes associated with development reflect modifications in the dendritic arbours of RGCs, the anatomical substrate of their receptive fields. We demonstrate that there is a temporal correlation between the period of receptive field expansion and that of dendritic growth. Moreover, the immature spontaneous activity contributes to dendritic growth in developing RGCs. Intracellular staining of RGCs reveals, however, that immature receptive fields only rarely show direct correlation with the layout of the corresponding dendritic tree. To investigate the possibility that not only the presence of the spontaneous activity, but even the precise spatiotemporal patterns encoded in retinal waves might contribute to the refinement of retinal neural circuitry, first we must clarify the mechanisms mediating the generation and propagation of these waves across development. In the second part of this review, we present evidence that turtle retinal waves, visualised using calcium imaging, exhibit profound changes in their spatiotemporal patterns during development. From fast waves sweeping across large retinal areas and recruiting many cells on their trajectory at early stages, waves become slower and eventually stop propagating towards hatching, when they become stationary patches of neighbouring coactive RGCs. A developmental switch from excitatory to inhibitory GABAA responses appears to mediate the modification in spontaneous activity patterns while the retina develops. Future chronic studies using specific spatiotemporal alterations of the waves will shed a new light on how the wave dynamics help in sculpting retinal receptive fields. [source]


    Compatibility and viscoelastic properties of brominated isobutylene- co - p -methylstyrene rubber/tackifier blends

    JOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE, Issue 3 2008
    K. Dinesh Kumar
    Abstract Brominated isobutylene- co-p -methylstyrene (BIMS) rubber has been blended with hydrocarbon resin tackifier and alkyl phenol formaldehyde resin tackifier, and the compatibility between the blend components has been systematically evaluated. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) studies show that BIMS rubber and hydrocarbon resin tackifier blends are compatible at all blend proportions studied. However, BIMS rubber and phenol formaldehyde resin blends exhibit very limited compatibility with each other and phase separation even at very low phenolic tackifier concentration. Morphological studies of the rubber,resin blends by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) corroborate well with the DMA and DSC results. From the DMA frequency sweep and temperature sweep studies, it is shown that the hydrocarbon resin tackifier acts as a diluent and causes a decrease in the storage modulus values (by reducing the entanglement and network density) in the rubbery plateau region. On the other hand, phenol formaldehyde resin behaves in the way similar to that of the reinforcing filler by increasing the storage modulus values (by increasing the entanglement and network density) in the rubbery plateau zone. The relaxation time estimated from the different zones of frequency sweep master curves provides information about the influence of the two tackifiers on the viscoelastic properties of the BIMS rubber in the respective zones. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008 [source]


    EFFECT OF COMPOSITION OF GLUTHNIN SUBFRACTIONS ON RHEOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF WHEAT

    JOURNAL OF FOOD BIOCHEMISTRY, Issue 4 2000
    S. JOOD
    ABSTRACT Gluten extracted from defatted flours of cv. Aubaine (extra-strong), Hereward (strong) and Riband (weak) was separated into five different fractions (R2 to R6) by sequential centrifugation and addition of sodium chloride. A seven-minute mixing time was used to carry out fractionation on the basis of depolymerization of glutenin macropolymers (GMP). Depolymerization of GMP occurred at much higher rates in dough of the weak cultivar compared to the strong and extra-strong cultivars. Polypeptide compositions of different ghttenin fractions were determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under reduced and non-reduced conditions, followed by densitometric scanning of stained patterns. The amount of HMW-glutenin subunits decreased and LMW-glutenin subunits increased correspondingly in each cultivar with the fractionation from R2 to R6. The rheological behavior of the fractions was analyzed by small deformation rheological tests (strain sweep and frequency tests). The high molecular weight fraction (R2) from extra-strong wheat had a higher vahte of G' and a lower tan , value as compared to strong and weak bread-making wheats. The moduli of HMW glutenin fractions (R2 and R3) were frequency independent and promoted the network properties, whereas moduli of LMW glutenin fractions were frequency dependent and gave rise to a plasticizing effect. Therefore, it was concluded from the present studies that HMW-glutenin subunits are not the only factors governing good bread-making quality but their proportions in relation to low molecular weight glutenin subunits is equally important in sinking a balance between viscous and elastic properties essential for bread making performance. [source]


    Design sensor trajectory for control: Application to sheet-forming processes

    AICHE JOURNAL, Issue 8 2000
    Der-Ming Chang
    The conventional scanning sensor generates a zig-zag pattern for the sheet-forming process, immediately leading to the problem of unequal measurement update intervals in state estimation. Instead of reconstructing the profile given a zig-zag pattern, the sensor trajectory was redesigned to better estimation and control. In this work, the characteristics of the conventional scanning sensor were explored as well as the implications in estimation and control. The concept of elliptic sensor contour is presented, deriving analytical expressions for the sensor trajectories. Alternatively, the improved sensor trajectory can be obtained using a variable-speed scanning sensor under linear sweep. That implies that control performance can be improved by reprogramming the motor of the existing sensor. Moreover, several alternatives for sensor arrangement are also explored. The results for estimation and control can be used as guidelines for the development of future sensor technology. [source]


    GELLING BEHAVIOR OF RICE FLOUR DISPERSIONS AT DIFFERENT CONCENTRATIONS OF SOLIDS AND TIME OF HEATING

    JOURNAL OF TEXTURE STUDIES, Issue 3 2008
    ALKA KAPRI
    ABSTRACT Rice flour dispersions, under suitable conditions of processing, can form a gel. The effect of concentration of solids (10,18%) and time (0,75 min) of processing on textural attributes, and viscoelasticity were investigated along with sensory attributes. The textural attribute determined is gel strength, while viscoelasticity was determined in terms of mechanical spectra like storage modulus (G,), loss modulus (G,), complex viscosity (,*) and loss factor (tan ,) during a frequency sweep varying from 0.01 to 40 Hz at a constant stress of 25 Pa. Microstructural observation indicates the swelling of starch granules in the beginning of heating, while damaged granule and leached-out materials are visible at the end of the gelling process. Desirability function analysis has been applied to obtain a rice gel with acceptable textural attributes; a solid concentration of 15.2% and a heating time of 75 min can lead to the development of a gel with a satisfaction level of 0.6. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Rice flour gels in the form of hard-set gels, porridges and spreads are popular in several parts of the world particularly for feeding of infants and children. The application of the present study lies in understanding the role of major processing variables on the quality attributes and viscoelasticity of a product, characterization of cooked gels and for developing rice flour-based food gels. The findings may also be extended for the development of other cereal-based gels. [source]


    VISCOELASTIC CHARACTERIZATION OF RICE GEL

    JOURNAL OF TEXTURE STUDIES, Issue 4 2003
    RASHMI JENA
    Rice flour dispersions with 15,25% solids were subjected to microwave heating for 0,75 s and samples were subjected to oscillatory frequency sweep between 0.01,10 Hz. The initial rapid increase in storage modulus (G1) with frequency decreased to a plateau at higher frequencies. An increase in G1 and complex viscosity (,*) with an increase in the time of treatment or concentration of solid indicate the extent of sol-gel transformation. The sensory data on hardness, elasticity and stickiness also followed similar trend. Principal component analysis (PCA) of the sensory results indicate that a minimum treatment time of 45 s is needed to achieve a rice gel with acceptable sensory characteristics. The G' values were modeled (0.936 , r , 0.988, P , .01) by the 4-element spring-dashpot model. [source]


    Glass Strengthening Via High-Intensity Plasma-Arc Heating

    JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY, Issue 5 2010
    Andrew A. Wereszczak
    A high-intensity plasma-arc lamp was used to irradiate the surface of soda,lime silicate glass tiles to determine whether an increase in strength could be achieved. The lamp has a maximum power density of 3500 W/cm2, a processing area of 2 cm × 10 cm, a broad-spectrum energy distribution between 0.2 and 1.4 ,m, and was controlled to unidirectionally sweep across 50 mm2 tiles at a constant speed of 8 mm/s. Ring-on-ring (RoR) equibiaxial flexure and four-point unidirectional flexure testings of entire tiles were used to measure and compare uncensored and unimodal Weibull failure stress distributions of treated and untreated glass. Even under nonoptimized processing conditions, the RoR Weibull characteristic failure stress increased by approximately 25% and the four-point-bend Weibull characteristic failure stress increased by approximately 65%. Additionally, the failure stresses of the weakest samples of the heat-treated glass were significantly higher than those of the untreated glass. Strengthening was due to a fire-polishing-like mechanism. The arc-lamp heat treatment caused the location of the strength-limiting flaws in the four-point-bend tiles to change; namely, failure initiation occurred on the gauge section surface for the treated glass, whereas it occurred at a gauge section edge for the untreated glass. Arc-lamp heat treatment is attractive not only because it provides strengthening, but because it can (noncontact) process large amounts of glass quickly and inexpensively, and is a process that either a glass manufacturer or an end-user can readily use. [source]


    Multiple sweep method of moments analysis of electromagnetic scattering from 3D targets on ocean-like rough surfaces

    MICROWAVE AND OPTICAL TECHNOLOGY LETTERS, Issue 1 2007
    D. Çolak
    Abstract This paper presents the multiple sweep method of moments (MSMM) analysis of electromagnetic (EM) scattering from three dimensional (3D) targets on ocean-like rough surfaces. The MSMM is a recursive method for solving the large matrix equations which arise in the method of moments (MoM) analysis of electrically large bodies. In the MSMM, the body is split into P sections and the currents on these sections are found in a sequential downrange-uprange fashion. The first sweep includes the dominant scattering mechanisms and each subsequent sweep includes higher order mechanisms. The results obtained from this study demonstrate that the MSMM is a very reliable and efficient tool for the analysis of this class of problems. The numerical results yield insight into electromagnetic scattering mechanisms associated with a 3D target on a rough surface, and provide accurate and robust reference solutions for more approximate techniques which can handle larger geometries more efficiently. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 49: 241,247, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.22074 [source]


    High population differentiation and unusual haplotype structure in a shade-intolerant pioneer tree species, Zanthoxylum ailanthoides (Rutaceae) revealed by analysis of DNA polymorphism at four nuclear loci

    MOLECULAR ECOLOGY, Issue 10 2008
    K. KAMIYA
    Abstract Differences in demographic history, life-history traits, and breeding systems affect nucleotide variation patterns. It is expected that shade-intolerant pioneer tree species have different patterns of genetic polymorphism and population structure than climax species. We studied patterns of nucleotide polymorphism at four putative starch pathway loci (agpSA, agpSB, agpL, and GBSSI) in Zanthoxylum ailanthoides, a shade-intolerant pioneer tree species that occupies forest gaps in warm-temperate forests of East Asia. Genetic diversity was lower within each population than among populations, and differentiation among populations was high across the loci (FST = 0.32,0.64), as expected from the insect-pollinated breeding system and the metapopulation structure of this pioneer species. Numbers of haplotypes were smaller than those expected from the observed numbers of segregating sites. Single haplotypes accounted for more than 47% of all the sampled genes at the respective loci. These variation patterns were incompatible with neutral predictions for populations of a finite island model. Complex population dynamics, such as bottleneck and/or admixture, in the history of this pioneer tree species might have resulted in the observed patterns of genetic variation and population structure, which are different from those of climax wind-pollinated tree species, such as conifers. In contrast to the other loci investigated in this study, agpL showed nearly no variation in Z. ailanthoides (one singleton only), but there was some extent of variation in a closely related species, Zanthoxylum schinifolium. This suggests possibly a recent selective sweep at or near the locus in Z. ailanthoides. [source]


    Pinpointing a selective sweep to the chimpanzee MHC class I region by comparative genomics

    MOLECULAR ECOLOGY, Issue 8 2008
    NATASJA G. DE GROOT
    Abstract Chimpanzees experienced a reduction of the allelic repertoire at the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I A and B loci, which may have been caused by a retrovirus belonging to the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) family. Extended MHC haplotypes were defined in a pedigreed chimpanzee colony. Comparison of genetic variation at microsatellite markers mapping inside and outside the Mhc region was carried out in humans and chimpanzees to investigate the genomic extent of the repertoire reduction. Multilocus demographic analyses underscored that chimpanzees indeed experienced a selective sweep that mainly targeted the chromosomal segment carrying the Mhc class I region. Probably due to genetic linkage, the sweep also affected other polymorphic loci, mapping in the close vicinity of the Mhc class I region genes. Nevertheless, although the allelic repertoire at particular Mhc class I and II loci appears to be limited, naturally occurring recombination events allowed the establishment of haplotype diversity after the sweep. However, recombination did not have sufficient time to erase the signal of the selective sweep. [source]


    Glacial refugia and recolonization pathways in the brown seaweed Fucus serratus

    MOLECULAR ECOLOGY, Issue 17 2007
    G. HOARAU
    Abstract The last glacial maximum (20 000,18 000 years ago) dramatically affected extant distributions of virtually all northern European biota. Locations of refugia and postglacial recolonization pathways were examined in Fucus serratus (Heterokontophyta; Fucaceae) using a highly variable intergenic spacer developed from the complete mitochondrial genome of Fucus vesiculosus. Over 1500 samples from the entire range of F. serratus were analysed using fluorescent single strand conformation polymorphism. A total of 28 mtDNA haplotypes was identified and sequenced. Three refugia were recognized based on high haplotype diversities and the presence of endemic haplotypes: southwest Ireland, the northern Brittany-Hurd Deep area of the English Channel, and the northwest Iberian Peninsula. The Irish refugium was the source for a recolonization sweep involving a single haplotype via northern Scotland and throughout Scandinavia, whereas recolonization from the Brittany-Hurd Deep refugium was more limited, probably because of unsuitable soft-bottom habitat in the Bay of Biscay and along the Belgian and Dutch coasts. The Iberian populations reflect a remnant refugium at the present,day southern boundary of the species range. A generalized skyline plot suggested exponential population expansion beginning in the mid-Pleistocene with maximal growth during the Eems interglacial 128 000,67 000 years ago, implying that the last glacial maximum mainly shaped population distributions rather than demography. [source]


    World-wide survey of an Accord insertion and its association with DDT resistance in Drosophila melanogaster

    MOLECULAR ECOLOGY, Issue 8 2004
    F. CATANIA
    Abstract Previous work showed that insecticide resistance in Drosophila melanogaster is correlated with the insertion of an Accord -like element into the 5, region of the cytochrome P450 gene, Cyp6g1. Here, we study the distribution of the Accord -like element in 673 recently collected D. melanogaster lines from 34 world-wide populations. We also examine the extent of microsatellite variability along a 180-kilobase (kb) genomic region of chromosome II encompassing the resistance gene. We confirm a 100% correlation of the Accord insertion with insecticide resistance and a significant reduction in variability extending at least 20 kb downstream of the Cyp6g1 gene. The frequency of the Accord insertion differs significantly between East African (32,55%) and nonAfrican (85,100%) populations. This pattern is consistent with a selective sweep driving the Accord insertion close to fixation in nonAfrican populations as a result of the insecticide resistance phenotype it confers. This study confirms that hitchhiking mapping can be used to identify beneficial mutations in natural populations. [source]


    An investigation on the correlation between rheology and morphology of nanocomposite foams based on low-density polyethylene and ethylene vinyl acetate blends

    POLYMER COMPOSITES, Issue 10 2010
    M. Riahinezhad
    This article presents the correlation between rheology and morphology of nanocomposite foams of low-density polyethylene (LDPE), ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), and their blends. LDPE/EVA nanocomposites were prepared via melt mixing and then foamed using batch foaming method. To assess the rheological behavior of polymer melts, frequency sweep and creep recovery tests were done. Morphology of the samples was also studied by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The results showed that with increase in clay content, storage modulus, complex and zero shear viscosities will be increased, which affect the foam morphology. In addition, elasticity plays an important role in foaming process, in a way that samples with more elasticity percentage have the highest cell density and the lowest cell size. POLYM. COMPOS., 31:1808,1816, 2010. © 2010 Society of Plastics Engineers. [source]


    Yield stress and rheological characterization of the low shear zone of an epoxy molding compound for encapsulation of semiconductor devices

    POLYMER ENGINEERING & SCIENCE, Issue 4 2008
    Masaki Yoshii
    In encapsulation molding of IC packages, the melt flow inside the cavity is generally controlled in a low shear to prevent wire sweep, and other molding defects. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the rheological properties of epoxy molding compounds (EMC) in a low shear zone including determining the yield stress. In this study, a newly specialized Parallel-Plate Plastometer for EMCs was built up. Using this plastometer, the yield stress and its temperature dependence were clarified, and the rheological properties in the low shear zone were evaluated. As a result, the rheological properties in a low shear zone of 0.1,10 s,1 were characterized using the Herschel,Bulkley viscosity model which introduced the yield stress, the Castro,Macosko equation as a dependency model of cure, and the WLF equation as a dependency model for temperature. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2008. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers [source]